FAIRCHILD, Everett E. (Jerry)

Published
4:00 am PST, Sunday, December 15, 2002

FAIRCHILD, Everett E. (Jerry) - Age 82, died peacefully at his home in Geyserville, CA on December 11. 2002, surrounded by his wife and all his children. Everett was born the sixth of seven children of William and Hulda (Sohns) Fairchild on February 8, 1920 in Ephriam, WI. At the age of two his family moved to Chambers Island - 7 miles offshore of Northern Door County in Green Bay. While on the island his parents managed the Chambers Island Camp for Girls. In 1929 the family moved back and remained in mainland Door County. Shortly after his 1938 graduation from Gibraltar High School Everett set out on his own to Chicago. Several years later, yearning to see the world he boarded a Chilean freighter and headed for Panama where he remained for three years before returning to the States to join the U.S. Army. Serving in World War II in the Pacific (Leyte and Manila) he was among the first to go to Japan with the Occupational Troops in General MacArthur's Headquarters. While stationed in Tokyo he received his nickname, Jerry, which remained with him throughout his life except to his Wisconsin family and friends. Taking his discharge overseas, Everett stayed in Japan as a civilian for several years. He then spent a year on the east coast reconnecting with family and friends. Desirous of another international assignment Everett moved to San Francisco and temporarily took a position in the Officer's Club at Fairfield Suisun Air Force Base which is now known as Travis Air Force Base. It was love at first sight when he met Mary Helen Power in the Nut Tree Flower Shop. Jerry and Mary Helen were married in 1951 and raised a family of six children, temporarily ending his wanderlust ways. He joined his wife's family in the operation of the Nut Tree complex as Office Manager, in Nut Tree, California. Later, he went on to manage the Nut Tree Restaurant where he was instrumental in developing a training program for the dining room staff and for the success of the restaurant for over 20 years. Upon retirement Jerry spent seven years researching and subsequently publishing the Fairchild genealogy, "One Family's Story - 1610 - 1980". He later continued his genealogical research to include his Mother's family; "The Story of Four Families", the four ancestral lines of his wife's maternal family which is currently being published by the Vacaville Museum; and his wife's paternal ancestry, the Power Family. Jerry and Mary Helen continued to travel the world and in the 1980's Jerry began to lead photo Safari tours to Africa as a hobby, primarily to Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. In 1988 he and Mary Helen moved from the Nut Tree Ranch to Geyserville, CA where they would be closer to many of their children and grand children. Jerry is survived by his wife, Mary Helen, their six children and their respective spouses: Paul, Margo, Gail & Patrick Paquette, Jeff & Barbie, Lisa & Tom Morelli and Tim & Becky, all of California; 17 grandchildren and five great grandchildren. In Wisconsin he is survived by his sister, Dorothy Deerwester, brother, Rocky Fairchild and many nieces and nephews. During his lifetime, Jerry traveled the world and believed that the people in his life and those he met while traveling enriched his life greatly which allowed him to appreciate the diversity of the world and it's people. A private service was held Friday in Olema, CA. It was his wish that any memorials be given to Dominican University of California, 50 Acacia Ave., San Rafael, CA 94901 or the Vacaville Museum - Harbison House, 213 Buck Ave. Vacaville, CA 95688.